Tory infighting erupts as Boris REFUSES to back Rees-Mogg over ‘inhuman’ Covid rule claims
Jacob Rees-Mogg insists Boris Johnson did not mislead
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The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said the Government had taken action to “save both lives and livelihoods” throughout the pandemic. The defence of the Covid response came after Mr Rees-Mogg said this morning that some of the restrictions imposed on Britons were “inhuman”.
He refused to apologise for previously calling a row over rule-breaking in Downing Street as “fluff” and “fundamentally trivial”.
The Somerset MP added it was “not the most important issue in the world” given the war in Ukraine.
“I think those words in the context of what’s going on in Ukraine are completely reasonable,” Mr Rees-Mogg said.
“I don’t think the issue of what may or may not have happened in Downing Street and what we are now finding out is fundamental.
“What I think is fundamental is that we look in the inquiry at how the rules were devised and the effect that they had, because I think some of those rules were inhuman.”
Mr Rees-Mogg said people were “understandably cross” that rules were broken in Downing Street during the pandemic but that there were more important issues to focus on in the current climate.
Distancing Mr Johnson from the minister’s comments, the Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: “I think at all times the Government took action to save both lives and livelihoods and that was always a balanced judgment that sought to be informed by the latest evidence we had.
“We have established an inquiry to take a proper view and learn lessons about what happened and there will be more to say then.
“But certainly at all times the Government sought to act in the best interests of the United Kingdom.”
More to follow…
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